Glossary

Terms and definitions used throughout the Cookieplone documentation.

add-on

A package that extends Plone. A backend add-on is a Python package, and a frontend add-on is a JavaScript package for Volto or Aurora. The backend_addon, frontend_addon, aurora_addon, and monorepo_addon templates generate add-ons.

• Plone core add-ons

• Volto add-ons

• Add-ons tagged with the trove classifier Framework :: Plone on PyPI

answers file

A JSON file with answers to the questions of a template. Cookieplone writes .cookieplone.json into each generated project, and reads an answers file that you pass with --answers-file. See Use an answers file.

Aurora

Plone Aurora, a Plone frontend in alpha. The aurora_cmfplone, aurora_nick, aurora_nick_embedded, and aurora_addon templates generate projects and add-ons for it.

Classic UI

The Plone user interface that the backend renders, without a separate JavaScript frontend. The project template generates a Classic UI project when you answer no to "Use Volto as frontend?".

computed field

A field with "format": "computed" in the cookieplone.json of a template. Cookieplone doesn't ask it. It renders the default of the field, a Jinja2 expression, from the answers. See Computed defaults.

constant field

A field with "format": "constant" in the cookieplone.json of a template. Cookieplone doesn't ask it, and uses its default as written, without rendering it.

Cookiecutter

Cookiecutter is a command line utility that creates projects from templates. Cookieplone uses it to render the files of a template. A Cookieplone template describes its questions in cookieplone.json instead of cookiecutter.json.

Cookieplone

Cookieplone generates Plone codebases from templates. On top of Cookiecutter, it adds template repositories with groups, a question wizard, validators, Jinja2 filters, and sub-templates. Run it with uvx cookieplone.

cookieplone-templates

cookieplone-templates is the template repository that Cookieplone uses by default. The Plone community maintains it. It has templates for Plone projects, add-ons, and documentation. See Official templates.

extends

A key of cookieplone-config.json that builds a template repository on top of an upstream repository. The downstream repository inherits the upstream templates, and can add or replace templates, or overlay them. See Extend an upstream template repository.

group

A named set of templates in cookieplone-config.json. When you run Cookieplone without a template ID, it lists the groups first, then the templates of the group you choose.

hidden template

A template marked "hidden": true in cookieplone-config.json. Cookieplone leaves it out of the menu unless you pass --all, and runs it when you pass its ID.

hook

A script in the hooks folder of a template that Cookieplone runs at a fixed point of a generation: pre_prompt, pre_gen_project, or post_gen_project. See Hooks.

Markedly Structured Text

MyST

Markedly Structured Text (MyST) is a flavor of Markdown for Sphinx. The Cookieplone documentation uses it.

Nick

A Plone backend written in Node.js. The volto_nick, aurora_nick, and aurora_nick_embedded templates use it.

overlay

A downstream template with a path, in a repository that extends an upstream repository. Cookieplone copies the files of the upstream template first, then the downstream files on top. See Extend an upstream template repository.

Plone

Plone is an open source content management system for websites, intranets, and custom applications.

post_gen_project

The hook that runs in the generated project after Cookieplone renders the files. The official templates use it to run sub-templates and post-generation actions.

pre_prompt

The hook that runs before the first question, in a temporary copy of the template. The official templates use it to check for the tools they need.

renderer

The tui_forms component that draws the questions. Cookieplone uses the renderer named by COOKIEPLONE_RENDERER, then the one in config.renderer of the repository, and falls back to cookiecutter. cookieplone-templates sets rich. With --no-input, Cookieplone uses the noinput renderer, which asks nothing.

replay file

A JSON file with the full context of a generation, including computed values. --replay and --replay-file generate a project again from it. See Answers and replay.

Sphinx

Sphinx builds documentation from reStructuredText or MyST sources. The Cookieplone documentation and the documentation_starter template use it.

sub-template

A template that another template runs from its post_gen_project hook, to generate part of a project. Sub-templates are usually hidden. See Sub-templates.

template

A folder with a cookieplone.json file, which describes the questions, and the files and folders to render. A template repository lists its templates in cookieplone-config.json, each under an ID.

template repository

A directory, git repository, or zip archive with a cookieplone-config.json file at its root, and the templates that the file lists. See Template repositories.

tui_forms

The Python library that turns the questions of a template into a form, and asks them through a renderer.

uv

uvx

uv is a Python package and project manager. uvx runs a Python tool without installing it. Running uvx cookieplone is the recommended way to use Cookieplone. See Install Cookieplone.

versions namespace

The version pins that a template reads as {{ versions.<key> }}. They come from config.versions in cookieplone-config.json, and from the template's own config.versions, which takes precedence.

Volto

The React frontend of Plone 6. The project template generates a Volto frontend when you answer yes to "Use Volto as frontend?", and frontend_addon generates Volto add-ons.